About me

Particle Press is a Home wares and gifts brand inspired by nature, and designed and illustrated by me - Fiona Leighton. I run Particle Press alongside being a Mum to my two children. 

 I grew up in the North East of Scotland, and spent my childhood outdoors, playing, learning and immersing myself in nature. I was a very keen birdwatcher, and I am overwhelmed by the array of birds here in Cornwall. My work is particularly inspired by wild flowers from the overgrown hedgerows and meadows. Birds, insects, nests and small creatures all make an appearance somewhere. I design and make fabric for homewares, and my work also adorns cards, tea towels, aprons and stationery.

My work has been featured in magazines such as Country Living, Country Homes and Interiors, Period Living and The Simple Things Magazine.

Location

I am based outside Falmouth, near a small village called Constantine, in Cornwall, UK. A beautiful spot, surrounded by fields and woodland. You can hear the owls call, the songbirds sing and the buzzards mewing as they coast the thermal currents down the valley. We are very close to the Helford River with its coves and creeks - and not too far away from the Lizard, and sandy beaches. I am very lucky to live and work in the same place, it makes juggling family life a little bit easier.

Background:

I grew up in a small Scottish town called Lossiemouth in the North Eastern part of the country. I was lucky to grow up by the sea, but also be surrounded by woodland and mountains! What more could a child wish for! I went to Aberdeen to study a degree in Printmaking at Grays School of Art, and then went on to complete a Masters in Printmaking at the RCA in London, where I also met my husband. We lived and worked in London for 8 years, and I taught Printmaking at London Print Studio. We then headed South to the turquoise sea and lush green hedgerows of Cornwall, where I set up my little Print studio, and Particle Press was born.

How it is made:

With emphasis on colour and quality, all my designs are made and produced in the UK. As much as possible, I try and partner with local makers, and work with suppliers from Falmouth to Manchester. See my manufacture and care page for more information.

More about me:

I am a very keen gardener, and spend a lot of my time tending to my vegetable patch and flower garden. You can follow along with my monthly updates from the garden on my blog. I also love to bake, make jam and chutney from my harvests and forage from the hedgerows when I can.

Sustainability:

I work very hard to try and make my business as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. I pride myself on wrapping your orders to look beautiful, with an added element of surprise and care, but everything can be reused or recycled. I source all my cardboard and packaging materials as FSC certified, I use paper tape, cornstarch cellophane and source all my products from UK suppliers. All waste from my studio is recycled, and our power is generated from solar. 

Thank you for visiting my website, and supporting a small business!

If you are a shop or a gallery, and you would like to become a PP stockist, I would love to hear from you - alternatively if you need any help with your order feel free to get in touch.

Fiona x